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Science News for December 14, 2015


Diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: New Canadian guideline

A new Canadian guideline provides recommendations for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. The guideline recommends counseling women and their partners about abstinence during pregnancy, screening pregnant women for alcohol use, and conducting complet...

SourceCanadian Medical Association Journal·JournalCanadian Medical Association Journal·DateDec 14, 2015

Humans evolved to get better sleep in less time

Researchers found that humans are exceptionally short sleepers, getting an average of seven hours of sleep per night, whereas other primates need up to 17 hours. Human sleep is also more efficient, spending less time in light stages and more in deeper stages.

SourceDuke University·JournalEvolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews·DateDec 14, 2015

New industrial possibilities for nanoporous thin films

Researchers at KU Leuven have developed an alternative production method to create nanoporous thin films, expanding their industrial possibilities. These materials can be used as catalysts, absorb large amounts of material, and store gases, opening up new applications in fields like nanoelectronics.

SourceKU Leuven·JournalNature Materials·DateDec 14, 2015

Designer crystals for next-gen electronics

Researchers have developed a new process to grow designer crystals using vapour rather than liquid, enabling the creation of faster and more powerful electronic devices. The method uses metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with extremely large surface areas, allowing for the trapping of other molecules and boosting processing power.

SourceCSIRO Australia·JournalNature Materials·DateDec 14, 2015

Who's writing prescriptions for opioid pain relievers?

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that while specialty prescribers concentrated opioid prescriptions, general practitioners wrote the most total prescriptions among Medicare prescribers. The authors analyzed 2013 Medicare data and focused on opioid prescriptions containing over 20 different opioids.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Internal Medicine·DateDec 14, 2015

Expert debunks the 'curse of the rainbow jersey'

Cycling World champions experience a dip in performance while wearing the champion's stripes due to regression to the mean. Dr Thomas Perneger's study analyzes racing results from 1965 to 2013, finding no significant difference between seasons with and without the rainbow jersey.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalThe BMJ·DateDec 14, 2015

A cultural revolution in the study of the gut microbiome

Scientists have developed a human-gut-on-a-chip model that allows them to analyze the interactions between normal gut microbes and pathogenic bacteria, providing new insights into inflammatory bowel diseases. The technology has revealed four small proteins that stimulate inflammation, opening up a potential therapeutic pathway for trea...

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 14, 2015

Election risk

Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that elected leaders live 2.7 years less and face a 23% greater risk of death compared to runners-up. This suggests the stress of governing accelerates mortality for politicians.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalThe BMJ·DateDec 14, 2015

Continuous joint use of estrogen and progestin lowers risk of EC in postmenopausal women

A study published in JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that continuous joint use of estrogen and progestin reduces the risk of endometrial cancer by 35% in postmenopausal women. The study analyzed data from 16,608 women aged 50-79 with normal uteri, who were randomly assigned to daily estrogen plus progestin or placebo.

SourceOxford University Press USA·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·DateDec 14, 2015

Universities' messages about socioeconomic diversity can affect academic confidence

A Northwestern University study finds that universities' messages about socioeconomic diversity can affect academic confidence and sense of self-worth in students from low-income backgrounds. Students perceived as 'warm' versus 'chilly' towards socioeconomic diversity reported different levels of academic confidence and expectations.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin·DateDec 14, 2015

Hubble reveals diversity of exoplanet atmosphere

Astronomers have studied ten hot Jupiter-sized exoplanets in detail using Hubble and Spitzer telescopes. The results show that planetary atmospheres are more diverse than expected, with some planets containing clouds and haze that hide water from view. This solves the mystery of why some exoplanets appear to have less water than expected.

Sweet and sticky: Bacteria use sugars to bind to human cells

Researchers at Griffith University have made a groundbreaking discovery about how bacteria interact with human cells, revealing high-affinity biomolecular interactions between glycans that were previously thought to be weak or non-existent. This finding opens up new avenues for developing vaccines and drugs to block infections.

SourceGriffith University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 14, 2015

A well-preserved skeleton reveals the ecology and evolution of early carnivorous mammals

A nearly complete skeleton of a well-preserved early carnivorous mammal, Galecyon, has shed light on the ecology and evolutionary relationships of hyaenodontids. The fossil, dating back to the Eocene Epoch, suggests that these ancient animals were adaptable ground-dwelling creatures, unlike their tree-climbing or runner relatives.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology·DateDec 14, 2015

Age of blueschist is not an indicator of the date of emergence of plate tectonics

Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz found that the appearance of blueschist, a blue-violet rock, is connected to long-term changes in the composition of the oceanic crust. This discovery challenges theories on the emergence of plate tectonics, which previously dated back to the Neoproterozoic era or even earlier.

SourceJohannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz·JournalNature Geoscience·DateDec 14, 2015

Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations

New research reveals that current genome analysis approaches miss detecting complex cancer mutations in well-known genes that could be targeted by existing drugs. The developed software tool, Pindel-C, identifies a large number of such events in critical cancer genes.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalNature Medicine·DateDec 14, 2015

Experts discover new gait pattern among top Russian officials

A team of researchers has identified a unique gait pattern among top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The experts link this 'gunslinger's gait' to military or intelligence training, specifically KGB instruction on keeping the weapon close to the chest while walking.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalThe BMJ·DateDec 14, 2015

Precise method underlies sloppy madness of dog slurping

Dogs drink by accelerating their tongues to create a water column, whereas cats use steady inertia. Researchers used photography and laboratory simulations to study dog lapping, finding that dogs' sloppy-looking actions are high-speed movements optimizing fluid acquisition.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 14, 2015

Nanoscale one-way-street for light

Researchers at TU Wien developed a nanoscale device that allows light to propagate in only one direction, breaking the symmetry of traditional optics. By coupling alkali atoms to ultrathin glass fibers, they achieved high transmission rates for light traveling in one direction while blocking it in the other.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review X·DateDec 14, 2015